Tehran rejects U.S. claims that Al-Qaeda leader based in Iran

TEHRAN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Iranian foreign minister on Thursday denied the U.S. claims that an al-Qaeda leader is "based in Iran," slamming such allegations as a "failed Iranophobia game."

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a Twitter post, in response to the U.S. State Department's claim on Wednesday that it "aligned with the assessments that al-Qaeda leader Seif al-Adel is based in Iran."

"I advise the White House to stop the failed Iranophobia game. Linking al-Qaeda to Iran is patently absurd and baseless," Amir-Abdollahian added.

He called on the U.S. government to also stop giving "false address," noting that those who created al-Qaeda and the Islamic State must be held accountable for spreading terrorism worldwide.

In 1998, a U.S. federal grand jury charged Adel with having a role in the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, which killed 224 people and wounded over 5,000 others.